Moving to Twin cities need help with neighborhoods

[Minnehahapolitan]

Moving here in the dead of winter from New Orleans? You may shatter from the temperature difference (but you will thank yourself in July.)

[Jeanie Hoholik]

Originally Posted by Camden Northsider

Jeannie, Linden Hills really has all different types of homes in all price ranges? I'm having a hard time swallowing that - my impression is that it's a pretty upper-end area with pricey homes (and i consider 300K pricey) but correct me if I'm wrong here .

To the OP, of the Mpls neighborhoods I've lived in, the Victory neighborhood in Minneapolis has been a great place to live for pets and going for long walks/runs on parkway areas and quiet city streets. Might be more of a commute than you are looking for to st. paul (it's in the northwest corner of Mpls), but I would guess that it would still take less than a half an hour most of the time to get to downtown st. paul and back. Coincidentally, there seems to be a fair amount of settled down musicians/ artists in the neighborhood despite not really having much live music (outside of local community theatre) close by (but it's an easy drive to downtown/ uptown mpls, the Capri, etc.).

Yup, you're right. In the last year the lowest priced single family home that sold in Linden Hills was $309,000. The highest was $639,000. Southwest Minneapolis has some better values. That being King Field, Fulton, Kenny, Windom, Lynnhurst and Tangletown, Armatage. Parts of Nokomis are great, too. Just watch out for the airport noise. You want to be able to hear the music you're playing!

[Not Iowa]

Originally Posted by tpourciau

we are moving from New Orleans so it'll be quite a change. Can't possibly be as dangerous as new orleans. The reason we are looking at renting is that we will only be there for about 3-4 years and didn't want to deal with closing and then having to sell. As for budget, i guess we are looking for under $1,500 or so , but we can work with whatever comes around.

Tim, I've lived in both New Orleans and St. Paul. I have to say I'm love torn for each, so am sorry to see you leave NOLA but happy that you will get to experience the other end of the Mississippi.

In St. Paul in particular, I've lived in West St. Paul and in Highland Park. Many of the neighborhoods mentioned by others are fabulous - but I would reccommend Highland Park. The commute will be a little heavier than what you are used to in NOLA, but still nothing to downtown. You should be able to rent in your range here as well. Stay away from West St. Paul, I'm told the neighborhood has changed.

If you are suburb people, you won't find Metarie up in the twin cities (unless you look to the North of Minneapolis, which I would not). Try Mendota Heights, Eagan, or Inver Grove Heights. All are in your price range, a short commute to downtown St. Paul, and very nice places to live.

Good luck!!

[Minnehahapolitan]

Metarie may be the oddest suburb I have ever seen.

[Camden Northsider]

Originally Posted by Not Iowa

Stay away from West St. Paul, I'm told the neighborhood has changed.

If you are suburb people, you won't find Metarie up in the twin cities (unless you look to the North of Minneapolis, which I would not). Try Mendota Heights, Eagan, or Inver Grove Heights. All are in your price range, a short commute to downtown St. Paul, and very nice places to live.

Good luck!!

Not Iowa- I know a few people that are homeowners in West St. Paul and really love the neighborhood/ area and schools there, I doubt it has changed all that much.

Which areas were you referring to when you said to the North of Minneapolis, what are the similarities with Metarie and why do you suggest not looking there?

[NCSkiGull]

Originally Posted by Minnehahapolitan

In Minneapolis
(approximate physical locations in parenthesis, my personal favorite areas w. asterix)
Uptown* - A gentrified, virbant area which is convenient to all parts of The Cities. Alot of rentals at various price points, clean and safe. You could probably ditch a car. Amenities like restaurants, theaters, bars, Lake Calhoun, et. cetera. (Hennepin Avenue at Lake)
Whittier* - A grittier, but relatively safe area. Includes the Mpls. Inst. of Arts, and "Eat Street" with the highest concentration of restaurants in the city. Very ethnically diverse. Lots of rentals, convenient. Again, could prob. ditch a car. (Nicollet Avenue between Franklin and Lake)
Downtown Area
-Warehouse District- A pretty gentrified area with old warehouses. More hip, lots of nightlife. The Twins stadium will open in 2010. Pretty expensive. (First Avenue, The Mississippi, Plymouth Ave, 4th Street)
-Mill District - Has been built over the last ten years. A New Urbanist neighborhood on the riverfront. Retail in that area has not reached its critical mass yet. Very pretty, close to the Guthrie (Portland, 4th Street, The Mississippi). Expensive.
- Loring Park* - Traditionally Gay neighborhood. Close to the major downtown park. Alot of older borwnstone apartments. Quick to both Downtown and Uptown. Safe, lots of amenities. (LaSalle, Freeway, 11th Street)
- Elliot Park* - A grittier Loring Park sans Gays. A good number of old brownstone townhomes. Alot of new development. Reputation for homelessness, but pretty safe. Close to Metrodome, HCMC. High density, not as much retail.
Northeast* - An old Eastern European area. Alot of commercial activity in the Hennepin and Central area. Restaurants, shops, a library, grocery. Quick to downtown. Good busline on Central Avenue. Close to river, Oldest part of the city. (Hennepin and Central Avenues, homes extend outwards a bit)
West Bank* - A student orientated, but diverse area. Close to the Univ. of Minn. lots of culture and bars. Sadly isolated by freeways. Still a good area. (Riverside Avenue at Cedar)
Linden Hills - Upscale, very family friendly, very very safe area. On west side of Lake Harriet. Built between 1900 and 1920. Mostly bungalows with some apartments. Good schools, decent commercial. A great food Co-op. (Upton Avenue at 43rd Street, neighborhood extends outward from there)
I got through a majority of areas, but not all. If you had a specific type of area in mind, I would be more than glad to help you more. I particularly skipped alot of the neighborhoody areas, the types with alot of houses and little activity. Those are basically the tour book areas.
-----Minnehahapolitan

You should write the Not For Tourists Guide to Minneapolis.
This is perfect fodder for it.

I love the info about the Warehouse district and all the other neighborhoods. It's really helpful. It's hard to hear realtors advice because they all want to sell the properties they are listing so I find these forums a lot more helpful.

My boyfriend and I are in our 20s we're thinking of moving here and want to still live it up a little but not so much as college kids. I particularly miss the Black Cat, DC9 and 930 clubs of DC as well as the little mom and pop shops on the Ustreet corrider - but I also enjoyed the safety of my dupont neighboorhood a few blocks down. However, as my name suggests I also live to ski, so I am excited about the prospect of the ski hill in Bloomington being so close too. I want my kids to grow up with extreme sports. The thrill and independence of it cant be beaten. Okay well thanks again.